HSRAANZ Mentoring Program – Giving back to Health Services Research

Mentoring refers to giving guidance and advice to others. It is a relationship where one person professionally assists the career development of another, outside the normal manager/ subordinate relationship.

Mentors are trusted guides who provide insight, perspective, and wise counsel. They tutor, coach, encourage and nurture the protégé, who in turn strives to grow and excel by learning from the shared accumulation of knowledge, skills and wisdom of the mentor.

Mentoring is a two-way relationship that is supportive, constructive and focused on the development needs of the mentee. It is based on mutual respect, shared values and benefits both parties through the act of sharing.

HSRAANZ Scheme

The aim of the HSRAANZ Mentoring Program is to encourage health services researchers to be active professionals, to nurture HSR talent, retain excellent researchers, develop future leaders, improve networking and communication opportunities and overcome professional and geographical isolation. The program offers a partnership where both parties can benefit.

Criteria

Preference in our program is generally given to mentees who consider themselves to be early stage health services researchers and who are seeking advice/guidance on specific topics/projects, as well as career advice. This would typically include health services researchers who are within 5 years of completion of a PhD. However, clinician researchers and those who have followed other career paths not involving a doctorate will also be considered for inclusion in the scheme, provided that they do not have an extensive track record suggestive of an established career. Periods of career disruption will also be considered when determining eligibility for the program.

Expressions of interest - a formal call for expressions of interest will be made in early 2018

Expectations/Requirements

Participants are expected to :

commit to a 12 months mentoring program

agree to maintain the mentoring relationship and the regular meetings until the agreed goals and objectives have been achieved (subject to exceptional circumstances from either side for discontinuing the relationship)

participate in all training/networking sessions.

Training and Networking

The availability and format of such session will be dependent upon available budget and the ability of participants to travel (in their own time and at their expense). The Mentoring Application form asks about training/networking preferences. We would like to provide training and networking for both mentors and mentees (either face to face or via the web). Ideally this will include an orientation/training session for accepted mentors and mentees and two further sessions mid way through and at the completion of the formal program, to encourage networking, to review progress and to get feedback on the scheme.

Roles and Responsibilities

Subject to the availability of mentors the HSRAANZ will match participants based on areas of interest, work environment and experience and geographic location.

There will be consultation with the mentee and mentor regarding matching. The critical success factor is a shared belief in the value of mentoring, and shared expectations of the particular mentoring relationship.

Both parties should discuss expectations of the mentoring relationship and agree on the objectives of the relationship and structure of the mentoring sessions. This may include session duration, content, venue and agenda, the time-frame for the relationship, work plan, areas for discussion and a timetable for meetings. Discussion may also cover expectations of the mentor and mentee, how to give feedback and agreed principles underlying the mentoring relationship.

The frequency, venue and format of the mentoring sessions should be agreed between the mentor and the mentee at their first meeting. Whilst face-to-face meetings would be the ideal less frequent face to face meetings with internet, telephone or email contact in between can also work well, particularly where geography makes face to face meetings difficult.

The focus of the relationship is the mentee’s goals but both parties need to follow through on actions or commitments and both need to respect each other’s time.

Confidentiality by all parties is essential for the mentoring relationship to be successful. Neither party should convey information about personal or professional issues, covered during mentoring sessions, to anyone else without prior and explicit permission.

The mentor and mentee must provide appropriate acknowledgement and credit for any joint work or projects. This includes publications, where we recommend that any authorship arrangements be agreed at the outset.

Benefits for Mentees

Mentees are the drivers of the mentoring relationship. Benefits can include: • advice from an experienced health services researcher • opportunity for informal discussion of professional matters • opportunity to meet other health services researcher’s • establish informal networks • increase knowledge and skills • professional development • experience of another workplace and a different perspective

Even if you already have supportive advisers and mentors, we encourage you to register and take advantage of this program. Another point of view, opportunity to network, and exposure to additional leaders in the field are just a few of the benefits.

Benefits for Mentors include:

While mentoring is focused on the professional needs of the mentee it can also provide significant benefits to mentors including: • satisfaction from offering support to early career researchers, contributing to the development of the profession and contributing to another person's development • the opportunity to receive feedback from another professional when offering training advice, to develop your own knowledge and contribute to your own development • increased informal networks • the opportunity for mutual exchange of ideas and information and an opportunity for reflection and discussion with a fellow professional • improved ability to share experience and knowledge • intellectually and personally rewarding

Closing date for the receipt of Expressions of Interest is Friday 10 June 2016

Mentoring Resources

Here a past mentee and their mentor talk about their experience of the HSRAANZ mentoring program.